Ventilator wall and window blocks



Oct. 1, 1940. c. Ros!-:

VENTILATOR WALL AND WINDOW BLOCKS Filed Dec. 6, 1958 INVENTOR ATTOR NEYS WITNESS Patented Oct. 1, 1940 PATENT OFFICE VENTILATOR WALL AND' WINDO'W BLOCKS Carl Rose, Belle Glade, Fla., assignor of one-half to George N. Allison, Miami, Fla.

Application December 6, 1938, Serial No. 244,288

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to building blocks, and an object thereof is to provide blocks which are designed primarily for the construction of ventilators of the louver type, the blocks being shaped for that purpose and for interfitting association with each other to be set or laid accordingly in building Walls and the like, with the result it will be seen that my blocks can be used to construct ventilators of various sizes and shape, directly in a wall while building the latter, or the blocks can be set in completed walls, as for example in window openings and the like to take the place of windows, etc. as the blocks can be made from any suitable material, including glass.

A further object is to provide building blocks of the character set forth, that are simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, extremely efiicient in use and service, and can be set in use in an easy and expeditious manner, as well as with less effort than required with common building blocks, due to the interfitting association of my blocks 'with each other.

Another object is to provide a ventilator constructed from my building blocks, that may or may not include closures for the louver passages, but when the closures are used with the venti lator, they are mounted for swinging movement,

so as to be automatically movable to closed position by storm winds or the like.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described,.illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view taken through a ventilator constructed from my blocks and which includes closure members for the louver passages with the members shown in open position.

Figure 2 is a front view of the ventilator.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, with the closure members in closed position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective sectional view of one of my blocks with the closure member attached thereto.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a block without the closure member.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective sectional view illustrating a ventilator of greater length than that of Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating the manner in which my blocks can be used in the construction of balustrades for porches, balconies, and the like.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be 5 noted that in the construction of the ventilators that two types of blocks are required, that is, one type broadly indicated by the reference numeral I, which provide the upper and lower members for the ventilator, and the other type by the numeral 2, that provide the intermediate members therefor.

The intermediate blocks or members 2 each include flat end walls 3 having formed thereon in bridging relation with respect thereto a wall 4 reversely curved transversely in substantially ser pentine formation and being of a width to extend between diagonally opposite corners of the end walls, as best shown in Figure 5. The longitudinal edge portions 5 of the wall 4 incline inwardly toward the upper and lower ends of the end walls 3 and said upper and lower ends are stepped as at 6, the outermost steps being beveled as at I to act as seats for the inclined longitudinal edge portions 5, when the blocks are set 25 one upon the other, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3, which likewise illustrates that the steps of one block interfit those of a companion block, so that the walls 4 are disposed in superimposed overlapped association or in louver formation to provide air passages 8.

The upper and lower blocks or members I may be identical in shape and are somewhat similar to that of the intermediate members or blocks 2, in that the blocks I include stepped fiat end walls, 35 9 and a reversely curved wall I0, but the upper portion of the upper block is thickened as at II and provided with a fiat upper face and the lower portion of the lower block is likewise thickened as at l I and provided with a flat lower face. The 40 respective fiat faces being adapted to contact the upper and lower portions of an opening in the building wall A, while the end walls of both the blocks I and 2 contact the side walls of the opening, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3. By that 45 construction, it will be obvious that the blocks close the opening and collectively cooperate to provide a ventilator which allows for the free passages of air through the louver passages, but due to the outer downwardly extending portions of the walls 4 and 10, rain, water and the like will be excluded from the passages.

While the ventilators can be used without closure members for the louver passages, I have shown said members in Figures 1, 3 and 4, and

each includes a hinge rod l2 and a sheet metal strip looped along the longitudinal center thereof to provide a sleeve I4 fixed to the hinge rod and from the sleeve portion the sheet extends in portions 15 disposed in diverging relation with respect to each other, as clearly shown in Figure 4. The outer edges of the portions 15 are flanged as at l6, and the ends of the rod l2 provide trunnions mounted in recesses in the confronting faces of the end walls of companion blocks for rotation of the closure members, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 4. It will be noted that the upper longitudinal edge portions of the walls 4 and 10 have inwardly directed flanges I'I formed thereon to act as seats for the diverging portions of the closure members when in either open or closed positions, and the walls 4 and 10 also have ribs l8 extending longitudinally along the lower surfaces thereof to receive the flanges of the uppermost diverging portions when the closure members are disposed in closed position, as best shown in Figure 3.

In Figure 6, I have illustrated a relatively long ventilator constructed from my blocks with the latter disposed in end to end contact, and it might be mentioned that the ventilators can be made of any height and length, without weakening the wall structure of the building, as my blocks are capable of supporting a load equal to that supported by ordinary building blocks of the same dimensions. However, it will be understood that when blocks of unusual length are employed,.

I preferably provide intermediate supporting walls 19 therefor, as shown in Figure 6.

In Figure 7, I have illustrated another use for my building blocks, namely as a balustrade for porches, balconies or the like. In that figure, it will be noted that the blocks are disposed in side by side relation for arranging the louver passages vertically, and while air will freely pass through the same, the blocks provide substantially the same privacy as a solid wall.

From the foregoing description and disclosure of the drawing, it will be obvious that my blocks can be used to construct ventilators and the like in any type of building, or other like structures including walls, as well as for balustrade work and the like, and the ventilators as such, not only perform their intended function in an efiicient manner, but are extremely ornamental in appearance, therefore they add materially in that respect to the structure.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A ventilator constructed from building blocks shaped and associated together to provide louver air passages between the same, a closure for each passage and comprising a rod, means secured to the rod and including portions diverging therefrom and the outer edges of said portions being arranged to contact companion blocks for closing the passages, and the rods being mounted in the blocks for swinging movement of the closuresv whereby the latter are normally disposed in open position and are automatically movable to closed position, by storm winds and: the like.

2. A ventilator constructed from building blocks, each block comprising flat end walls, a wall formed on and bridging the end walls and being reversely curved transversely throughout its length, said end walls being stepped and having certain corners thereof beveled, the curved walls having their ends extending between diagonal corners of the end walls and provided with longitudinal edges inclined at an angle for the end portions of said edges to fit the beveled corners of the end walls of companion blocks when the blocks are set in use one upon the other, and

when so set the stepped end walls of companion blocks are flttingly associated and the curved walls are spaced one from the other to provide louver passages between the curved walls.

3. A ventilator constructed from building blocks, comprising upper and lower blocks and intermediate blocks, each block including flat end walls, the end walls of the intermediate blocks having stepped upper and lower ends, the .end walls of the lower blocks having stepped upper ends and the end walls of the upper blocks having stepped lower ends, a wall formed on and bridging the end walls of each block and being reversely curved transversely throughout its length, said upper and lower blocks each having a thickened portion, the thickened portion of the upper block having a flat upper face and the thickened portion of the lower block having a flat lower face, and the curved walls being arranged with respect to the end walls, so that when the blocks are set in use one upon the other the stepped walls of companion blocks are fittingly associated and the curved walls follow the curvature of each other in superimposed spaced relation to provide louver air passages between the same.

4. A ventilator constructed from building blocks shaped and associated together to provide louver air passages between the same, flanges formed on and extending longitudinally of certain of said blocks and directed inwardly for disposal into the passages, ribs formed on and extending longitudinally of certain of said blocks, a closure for each passage and comprising a rod, a strip of sheet material secured to the rod and including portions diverging therefrom, flanges formed on the outer edges of the diverging portions and disposed at an angle thereto, the flanges of certain of the diverging portions being receivable against the ribs and the flanges of the other diverging portions being receivable against the flanges of the blocks when the closures are in closed position, and the rods being mounted in the blocks for swinging movement of the closures whereby the latter are normally disposed in open position and automatically moved to closed position by storm winds and the like.

CARL ROSE. 

